Know Your Player – Suryakumar Yadav
Cricketing milestones, rise through the ranks, trials and tribulations and their glamorous lifestyles – we cover it all in ‘Know Your Player’, a brand-new section aimed at keeping you updated with everything you need to know! In this edition, we take a look at India’s newest T20 specialist batsman, Suryakumar Yadav.
The Rise
Born to a middle-class family in Mumbai, Surykumar began his cricketing lesson early. At the age of 10, his father saw his inclination towards the game and enrolled him in a cricket camp in the BARC colony in Chembur. At 12, his coach H. S. Kamath started moulding him. Surya then went to Elf Vengsarkar Academy where he was guided by the former Indian batsman Dilip Vengsarkar. From there on, he was regularly featuring in all the age group tournaments of Mumbai.
Surya made his first-class debut for Mumbai against Delhi during the 2010-11 Ranji Season. He top-scored for his team with a well-compiled 73 and was the only player to score a fifty in that innings. He solidified on the start and became an integral part of the domestic team.
In 2018, Suryakumar raised the bar with a 512-run IPL season for the Mumbai Indians. He was also drafted in the Deodhar Trophy and soon started making strong statements with his performance. A cracking run of form in the 2020 IPL and other domestic tournaments made the national selectors take note of his talent. He finally received his maiden India call-up for the T20I series against England and made his debut in the 2nd T20I.
Although he didn’t get a chance to bat on debut, he more than made up for it in the next one. Facing his first delivery of international cricket, Surya smacked Jofra Archer for a six and announced his arrival in style. He went on to score a dazzling fifty in his first international innings!
Career Highlights
Off The Field
Suryakumar met his wife Devisha for the first time in 2012 at the R.A. Podar College Of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai. The couple got married in 2016. In his early childhood, Suryakumar developed an interest in cricket and badminton. His father Ashok Kumar Yadav made sure that Suryakumar focused on one sport only and make his career in it.
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